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Back from a long long vacation from India and ready to get back to business as usual. A vacation with family reminds you how good you had till you decided to get married and move miles and miles and miles away from them. And it reminds you what cooks your mother and mother-in-law are ;) And it connects you to recipes that you had forgotten because you wanted to cook something fancy for the blog . So here is a very basic potala(parwal) curry. Ingredients: Potala: 15 Potato: 2 medium Onion: 1 small finely choppedGinger garlic paste: 2 tbspTurmeric powder: 1 tspRed chilli powder: 1 tbsp (adjust as per taste)Cumin Powder: 1 tbspCoriander Powder: 2 tbspWhole Cardamon: 2Cinnamon Stick: 1/2 inchSalt: to tasteOil : 2 tbsp water: 1-2 cup Procedure: To prep the potala you wash and the then script the outer skin of it with a knife and not use a peeler because that will remove too much and not much will be left to cook. If you find bigger size potala then cut into half but if you get smaller ones like …

Poha is a simple but hearty breakfast and brunch dish that originated in Northern India. I have had poha quite a few times but never tried making it before few days back. I like having it once in a while and realized that Kiara really liked it, which added another item to the list of items that she loves to eat. Ingredients: Thick Poha: 2 cups Onion; 1 medium finely choppedGreen Chilli: 2 choppedPotato: 1 medium cut into small cubesCarrot: 1 medium cut into small cubesPeas: 1/2 a cupCurry leaves : 4-5Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tspTurmeric Powder: 1 tspRed Chilli Powder: 1 tspPeanut : 1/2 cup ( I didn't use any as DD is allergic to these :( )Oil: 2 tbspSalt to tasteProcedure: Soak poha in water so that its soft but not mushy, the time of soaking depends on the thickness of the poha. In a pan heat 1 tbsp of oil, add the cubed potato and carrot with a little salt and cook till cooked thorough and slightly crispy. Remove from the pan . If using peanuts, in the same pan roast the peanuts with littl…

Bhindi (Okra) is one of those vegetables that is loved by almost all or so I thought. Being prepared on a regular basis at home I had the mindset that everyone loves and knows how to handle it. But to my surprise I realized not all know how to cook it properly and despise it for its slimy texture. Many friends of mine mentioned that they tried okra and didn't like it because it was too slimy. I am guessing they didn't cook it right. So here is a simple and delicious recipe for Okra which is for sure not slimy at all. The trick is to find the right okra. When buying okra do this simple test of trying to break the tip off with your thumb and if it breaks easily then its really fresh and young, but if it gives a hard time then let it go, because if you cook it its gonna be a tuff to enjoy it. Ingredients: Okra: 1/2 pound or about 10 -15Aloo (potato): 1 medium cut into cubesOnion: 1 medium choppedPancha Putana: 1 tspDry red chili: 2 whole Salt: tasteTurmeric powder: 1 tspRed chillo …

Finally the season for fresh farm picked fruits and with it comes the delima of how to use all these beautiful fruits before they go bad. One of the fruits that go bad really soon is cherries. They are really delicious but had to consume a lot. Not advisable as well as it might lead to frequent visits to the loo :). So here is a very delicious and convenient way of using the cherries . A moist quick loaf with sweet cherries. Ingredients: Almond: 1 Cup Blanched and finely GroundAll-purpose Flour: 1 1/4 Cups Baking Powder: 1 TspUnsalted, Softened Butter: 1 Stick Sugar: 3/4 Cup Large Eggs:3 Ripe Cherries:2 Cups Pitted and cut Into QuartersProcedure: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an loaf pan In one bowl. Mix together the flour, salt and baking powder. In another bowl beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed with a hand or table mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each. Add the ground almonds and mix. Add 1/2 the flour mixture and mix briefly…

Its a very popular Indo-chinese dish, which goes well with both vegetarians as well as non-vegeterians. For our last potluck party the theme was chines food and while all the items were decided we needed one more appetizer for the vegetarians so I decided to prepare this very delicious and crunchy dish. Ingredients: Potatoes: 3 Large peeled and cut into fingers like for french friesGarlic: 2 cloves crushedRed chilli pwd: 1 tsp Tomato sauce: 2 tbpssalt : to tasteoil: 1 1/2 tbspFor sauce: Tomato sauce: 1 tbspRed chilli sauce: 1 tsp Vinegar: 2 tbspGarlic : 2 cloves crushedHoney: 1 1/2 tbpSpring onion greens: 1 tsp choppedoil: 1/2 tbsp Procedure: Mix oil, red chilli pwd, tomato sauce, crushed garlic and salt and place the potato fingers, in a ziplock bag and shake well. Grease a baking tray and spread the potato fingers on the tray and bake at 200 degrees C for 35-40 mts. You need to turn the potato fingers once during the baking process. Heat a heavy bottomed vessel, add oil, add the crushed g…

Its been months since I posted my last recipe. But it has been really hectic with baby Kiara, inlaw visit and trip to India. But finally I got to it and so here is one of my all time fav recipes. Baingan bharta (Mashed Eggplant) is a South Asian dish the national cuisines of both India and Pakistan. Traditionally, the dish is often eaten with roti or paratha and is also served with rice and/or raita, a yogurt salad. Ingredients: Eggplant: 1 largeOil: 3 tablespoonsOnions: 1 large choppedGreen Peas: 1/2 cupGreen Chilli: 2-3 choppedGarlic: 2-4 cloves choppedTomatoes: 1 medium choppedSalt to tasteRed chilli powder: 1 tspGaram Masala Powder: 2 tspFresh coriander leaves chopped: 2 tbspProcedure: Roast the brinjal on a medium flame till well cooked and the skin has charred completely. Cool, peel and mash. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the onions, garlic and green chili till light golden brown. Add the tomatoes, salt and chilli powder, garam masala powder and sauté till the masala is c…